For sexagenarian Rita Roy Chowdhury from India, retirement isn’t the end of an age—it’s actually a new beginning. While other retirees often feel anxious or depressed about the challenges that retirement brings, Rita chose to take charge of her life by freelance writing on the world’s most preferred outsourcing platform Freelancer.com. “Just when I was wondering how to fill my empty time after retirement, Freelancer® just happened,” she shares. “I did not get the chance to experience post retirement blues or feel left out.”

A retired Associate Professor and Departmental Head from the Vivekananda College for Women, which is under the auspices of Calcutta University, Rita has always had the passion for writing. While the content writing she currently does is quite a stretch from her bachelor’s degree in philosophy and doctorate degree in environmental ethics, she appreciates the fact that she still learns something new each day. “Freelancer® has given me the opportunity to experiment with my writing ability,” she explains, “and I can use my leisure time well.”

Although she’s just nine months into freelancing, she has wonderful stories about the jobs she has completed and the employers she has worked with. A Bangladesh national named Raisha asked her to write an article about how hypertension can be better controlled through Telemedicine using Skype. Telemedicine uses telecommunication and IT to provide remote clinical health care. Another employer, Kevin, asked her to write some do-it-yourself advice and tips in 150 characters for his micro blog. Then there’s Michael Fayez from Egypt whom she calls her “friend from the Nile”. She narrates: “Michael has always addressed me as ‘Doctor’. My project with him was about stocks and shares. I developed an eye infection during the course of the project and had to undergo surgery. He was very compassionate. He would tell me to stop doing the project and say that it could wait, get well first. I was overwhelmed. Even after the project was finished we exchange greetings.”

She admits that there are times she feels low. “The world outside is no longer my arena of work,” she laments, “but I turn to Freelancer® and I get engrossed in the projects. Actually I have access to the whole world through the platform. I have found a global community here.”

It is true what advice gurus often counsel: It takes the right attitude to adjust to this new phase of life. “I enjoy working here,” she reiterates. “Freelancer.com is more than the money—it’s about interacting with people from different countries that you get to know. I will always remain grateful because it has given me strong emotional support right after my superannuation.”